The family of Freeman Short, one of the seven souls lost aboard the Lily Jean fishing vessel out of Gloucester, believes he is still with the ship — and are pushing to get him and others returned to shore.
It’s been nearly two months since the fishing vessel rapidly sank on a January morning without a mayday call into frigid water.
Seven crew members aboard lost their lives. Only one crew member’s body was retrieved.
Freeman Short, 31, was working for the boat at the time to make extra money. He served as a US National Guardsman for 13 years, and was set to be deployed in June, his family said.
“Freeman wanted to be a dad, he wanted to get married, and my heart breaks for him because he’ll never get that chance now,” said Tiffany Leigh, his girlfriend.
His aunt, Debbie Farrell, added, “He’s down there. 300 feet down in the water… [The ocean] sounds different now. It sounds angrier.”
The two told Boston 25 news reporter Daniel Coates Tuesday that they believe his body and others could be in the cabin of the boat.
Days after the boat sank, they claimed state environmental police used submersible devices to identify the wreckage of the Lily Jean.
Leigh continued, “We know the depth of the boat. We know the coordinates. It’s just a matter of getting someone to give the go ahead to go down and retrieve the bodies.”
They claim they’ve raised these concerns and requests with investigators alongside other families, but have been met with silence.
Farrell added, “We want Freeman back on land… His body shouldn’t be down in the ocean.”
The Coast Guard, federal, and state agencies are still investigating what led to the tragedy.
Boston 25 reached out to the Coast Guard Tuesday inquiring if they plan to retrieve the bodies possibly still with the ship, and are awaiting a response.
To Freeman’s family, getting his body home is their priority.
“I feel like the families would be able to have some closure and be able to grieve properly if we have our boys back home, and Jada,” said Leigh.
She said Freeman planned to propose after his deployment in June.
Instead, she gave his eulogy this February at a funeral without his body. He was still given rites at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne.
“There was an empty casket, she added. “There was a photo at the church.”
The family is waiting on answers from the investigation, but are still inquiring about a retrieval operation. They believe the Navy has the capabilities to return any bodies found home.
Farrell finished, “We need help. We need a hero.”
Regarding the ongoing investigation, Gov. Maura Healey said in a statement:
“We must work to ensure that everything possible is done to understand the circumstances surrounding the tragic loss of the Fishing Vessel Lily Jean, and intensive efforts are ongoing for that purpose.
Currently, the United States Coast Guard, in conjunction with the National Transportation Safety Board, is conducting an ongoing investigation as to the causes of this tragedy, and the Massachusetts Environmental Police and the Massachusetts State Police are engaged in subsurface operations to obtain any available information which can inform our understanding of the vessel and the circumstances that led to its loss.
This investigation, and these operations, to be performed properly, take time, and the passage of that time is difficult for grieving family members, the commercial fishing industry, and the community.
It is imperative that the family members of the crew be informed about these operations as they continue, and that they be kept updated as necessary.
In order to achieve that goal, Coast Guard officials have been providing information relative to the investigation to these families. Additionally, we have arranged for personal briefings for each of the families by the Massachusetts State Police and the Massachusetts Environmental Police, during which all available information was shared in detail with them. Those briefings will continue as needed to keep these family members updated as to all operations, and to provide more information as it becomes available.
All of us who are involved with this situation are available to answer any questions from family members at any time.”
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